50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True Part 14

No matter where my Singularity fantasies may lead, my mind always ends up back in the real world. Hoping may be fun, but it's not the same as knowing, not even close. Sure, I hope the Singularity arrives just in time before I die. I hope that one day I can download every book in the world into my enhanced brain and move into a nice new robot body so that I can trek across the Arctic and break ten seconds for the 100 meters. In the meantime, however, I'll keep working from the a.s.sumption that my existence is finite and precious so I had better make the best of every day. Maybe that's the most practical outlook for all of us.

GO DEEPER...

Binford, Gregory, and Elsabeth Malartre. Beyond Human: Living with Robots and Cyborgs. New York: Forge Books, 2008.

Bostrom, Nick, and Milan M. Cirkvoic, eds. Global Catastrophic Risks. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.

Brockman, John, ed. The Next Fifty Years: Science in the First Half of the Twenty-first Century. New York: Vintage Books, 2002.

Brockman, John. Science at the Edge: Conversations with the Leading Scientific Thinkers of Today. New York: Union Square Press, 2008.

Diamond, Jared. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. New York: Penguin, 2011.

Ehrman, Bart D. Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.

Guyatt, Nicholas. Have a Nice Doomsday: Why Millions of Americans Are Looking Forward to the End of the World. United Kingdom: Ebury Press, 2007.

Halpern, Paul. Countdown to the Apocalypse: A Scientific Exploration of the End of the World. New York: Basic Books, 2000.

Impey, Chris. How It Ends: From You to the Universe. New York: W. W. Norton, 2011.

Kurzweil, Ray. The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology. New York: Penguin, 2006.

Lewis, James R. Doomsday Prophecies: A Complete Guide to the End of the World. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2000.

Taylor, Justin. The Apocalypse Reader (fiction). Philadelphia, PA: Running Press, 2007.

Ward, Peter D., and Donald Brownlee. The Life and Death of Planet Earth. New York: Henry Holt, 2004.

I don't think the human race will survive the next one thousand years.

-Stephen Hawking Why does human extinction fascinate us? Probably because we are humans and we will be the ones who go away, of course. As we will see in this chapter, however, our final exit is unlikely in the short term. There are no guarantees, of course; it could happen tomorrow. But talk of our ultimate end seems like it is everywhere these days and I believe it misleads many people about how vulnerable we really are. Humans are smart, numerous, and spread around much of the world. We won't be easy to eliminate. The avalanche of apocalyptic books, comics, movies, songs, and magazine articles in recent years suggests that we have become downright obsessive about the subject. Interestingly, these warnings and scary scenarios are not all coming from the same place. These days, one is as likely to encounter the idea of global destruction and the end of civilization in a respectable science publication as in a blockbuster film or comic book. There obviously is just something about the end of humanity that has grabbed us and won't let go. Such thoughts are not new, of course. They have been with us for a very long time. But once they were based on supernatural concepts of G.o.ds and magic and were the exclusive centerpiece of religions. These days, however, the grisly possibility of human extinction is just as likely to be brought up by a scientist as by a preacher. So, if the wrath of angry G.o.ds or the fulfillment of some sacred plan of global destruction doesn't appeal or seem rational enough, then one can always opt for the secular asteroid strike, gamma ray burst, or killer virus. Yes, no doubt about it, these are the golden days of doomsday dreamers, as there is bound to be at least one disaster scenario to suit anyone's taste. I contend, however, that none of the popular threats, whether religious or evidence based, will do us in any time soon.

WE'RE (PROBABLY) NOT GOING ANYWHERE.

Before exploring reasons why it is very unlikely that humans will become extinct any time soon, let's be clear about what extinction really means. The words extinction and end of the world are often used inaccurately and far too casually in popular culture. I suspect many people do not have a clear understanding about what extinction actually means. For example, a nuclear war of unprecedented savagery that leaves two-thirds of the population dead wouldn't qualify as a human extinction event. Not even a global disaster that completely destroys civilization and reduces us to a few random clans of scavengers would do it. Even a lethal virus that wipes out 99 percent of humanity wouldn't be enough because a 99 percent kill rate still leaves tens of millions of people. Extinction, keep in mind, means everyone. To bring about ours, an event would have to be so thoroughly catastrophic that it killed everyone outright or so altered the environment that every single person would succ.u.mb eventually.

Most religious doomsday scenarios don't even qualify because a supposed extinction event fails if some people are holding a supernatural escape ticket. This eliminates virtually every religious take on human extinction. No matter what they may say, most people who believe in a religion-based end-of-the-world event do not see it as an extinction event. Their scenarios almost always include safe pa.s.sage for people who are favored within their particular belief system. If people existed in a heaven or a h.e.l.l after doomsday and could still be considered people, then the human species wouldn't be extinct. So this cla.s.s of doomsday scenarios does not belong in an a.n.a.lysis of possible human extinction. n.o.body gets saved, Raptured, reincarnated, sent somewhere else. Extinction means everyone and forever.

While I think that extinction is very unlikely in the near future, I do not believe that h.o.m.o sapiens will last forever. No matter how smart and lucky we may turn out to be, it's virtually impossible that we can hold on indefinitely because, sooner or later, every species either dies out or evolves into something else. Even if we survive, hundreds of thousands if not millions of years from now, our descendants will be so physically and genetically different that they would have to be considered a different species. Either way, "we" won't be around.

EXPIRATION DATE.

This chapter is concerned only with the popular belief that humans are likely to become extinct within a century or so. Given enough time, predictions of our extinction will almost certainly be proven correct one way or another eventually. The glaring example provided by our planet's natural history is that extinction is the norm. Every species checks out sooner or later, at least that's what the evolutionary history of this planet shows. Approximately 99 percent of all species that have ever existed are now gone. Based on what we know today, it is clear that extinction for us is far more likely than eternal survival is. Even if we manage to avoid the many dangers we face here on Earth, the Sun will die four billion years or so from now. And even if we survive the death spasms of our star by colonizing other worlds, constructing habitats in s.p.a.ce, or somehow controlling the Sun and extending its duration, we still would have to confront the eventual "end" of life in an expanding universe. Trillions of years from now it will grow too cold and dark for life. But even then there might be a chance. In 2011, astronomers went public with the intriguing idea that dark matter might warm planets and make them hospitable to life.1 Then there is the possibility that our descendants will have become so smart that we would be able to figure out how to slip into another universe or dimension. Or maybe we could even time travel a few billion years in reverse to place us back in a more agreeable universe. But this chapter is not about the deep future; it's about the popular belief or fear that human extinction will happen sooner rather than later. It's possible, yes, but how likely is it? First, let's review some of the more serious and scientifically reasonable potential disasters we face, then we will consider what our chances of surviving them are.

Asteroid Strike What is the chance that a large asteroid or comet will hit Earth in the future? According to astronomers, the odds are pretty high. How high? Try 100 percent! I'm not sure about you, but I don't like those odds. Earth has been pounded by large objects in the past and it will be hit again. Some of the greatest ma.s.s extinctions in Earth history are believed to have been triggered by asteroid strikes, most famously the one that wiped out many dinosaur species sixty-five million years ago. If a big enough object, say one three or four miles in diameter, hit Earth, we might be finished. It's not the impact itself that does the most damage, however. It's all the dust, smoke, and debris that blocks the Sun and chokes out life. It's mind-boggling to imagine such destruction and terror. Unfortunately, this is our reality. The good news is that impacts are few and far between from our human perspective. We are also smart enough as a species to do something about it when one is heading our way in order to avoid extinction. We don't even have to play s.p.a.ce cowboys and send Bruce Willis to intercept them with nukes. All it takes is a slight nudge far enough out and they would miss us. But we can't be complacent about it because it requires setting up a reliable warning system and having a solid plan in place that we can execute immediately when an object is spotted heading our way.

I met former Apollo astronaut Rusty Schweickart at a s.p.a.ce conference in Arizona a few years ago. While he signed autographs for fans I took the opportunity to chat with the friendly s.p.a.ce hero about his work on asteroid and comet defense. Schweickart is a cofounder of the B612 Foundation and cochaired the 2010 NASA Advisory Council Ad-Hoc Task Force on Planetary Defense. He told me that he is concerned and believes we are not doing nearly enough to identify, track, and deal with objects that will threaten us in the future. I agree. To be smashed by some random rock from s.p.a.ce would be a tragic end after all the effort we made to move out of caves and clean ourselves up.

Nuclear War Everybody cheered when the Cold War ended (I'm still waiting for my peace dividend check to arrive in the mail) but thousands of nuclear weapons are still ready to fly should World War III ignite. Most of them are in the a.r.s.enals of the United States and Russia. Currently tensions between the two nations are nowhere near as high as they were during the Cold War. Still, the threat is there so long as the missiles are. Most people have no idea about the true power of modern nuclear weapons. They a.s.sume they are similar to the atomic bombs dropped on Hiros.h.i.+ma and Nagasaki at the close of World War II. Not even close. Today's nukes are thousands of times more powerful than those.

As destructive as these weapons are, however, humankind could and probably would survive a nuclear war. Given the fact that people are spread out so far and wide on the planet, most will no doubt be spared direct hits from missiles and bombs. Many big cities will be hit, of course, but the United States, Russia, China, or whichever nations are fighting would not waste their missiles on uninvolved cities such as Mogadishu (population more than one million) and Reykjavik (population more than one hundred thousand), for example. The real challenge for species survival would come when radioactive particles blow around the world and the sky turns dark from all the smoke, dust, and ash. Still, there is an excellent chance that some pockets of humans could survive if they figure out ways to insulate themselves from the radiation, stay warm, and procure enough water and food. It's not impossible by any means. Humans are very good at figuring out solutions to difficult challenges. Remember, we already know how to live in harsh environments such as the Antarctic and in s.p.a.ce.

Killer Germs We are always in danger of some germ evolving into a lethal monster capable of spreading from human to human and killing millions, maybe even billions. Ma.s.sive epidemics have already happened many times in the past. Killer germs have had profound impacts on European and Asian history, and they wiped out perhaps as much as 90 percent of the Native American population who died from smallpox and other diseases soon after the first Europeans arrived in the New World. The movies and history books often downplay it or leave it out entirely, but more people were killed by germs than bullets in the Civil War and in World War I. Bacteria and viruses can be wicked. They could even bring about our extinction.

To make matters worse, it's not only nature we have to worry about. Deadly engineered microbes could be created and released from a laboratory either by accident or on purpose. It's unlikely but still possible that a killer species of tiny viruslike invaders may descend upon us from s.p.a.ce or hitch a ride on the hull of one of our returning s.p.a.ce vehicles. But while all these scenarios could happen, I don't see any of them leading to our extinction. Again, if our smarts couldn't save us, our sheer numbers and geographical spread probably would.

I remember in the days following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami reading about an Indian Coast Guard helicopter that was sent to a.s.sess damaged coastlines. While flying over one island, a naked man defiantly shot an arrow at the helicopter. He was a member of an isolated tribe of people called the Sentinelese. Such groups of people who live in near or total isolation from the rest of humankind would probably do very well if biological catastrophe strikes the part of the world the rest of us live in. Their isolation might not be enough in the event of an asteroid strike, nuclear war, or supervolcano eruption. But if the threat is a virus, they have an excellent chance of survival and continuing the species. Their separation would leave them well positioned to inherit the Earth.

Climate Change Of all the extinction scenarios discussed in popular culture these days, global warming is my pick for the least likely to do us in. Yes, the climate is changing rapidly. Yes, the evidence indicates that humankind is causing or contributing to it. Yes, it is extremely serious and the toll is likely going to be immense in both lives and money from the impacts on sea level, weather, agriculture, and disease. But extinction? No way. There is no global warming outcome that I have heard described by credible scientists that is likely to wipe out all of humanity within the next one hundred to two hundred years. Could a worst-case scenario cripple or even bring down modern civilization and set us back a thousand years? Sure, that's possible, but millions of people somewhere would find a way to survive. Never forget, Neanderthals with prehistoric technology lived successfully for at least one hundred thousand years in Europe during an ice age. We know that human populations-even with minimal technology-can survive in desert, rainforest, wetland, snow, and mountain environments. It's a safe bet that at least some of us could manage to hang on somewhere.

Rise of the Machines "Do we build G.o.ds, or do we build our potential exterminators?" asks artificial intelligence researcher Hugo de Garis in his book The Artilect War.2 Yes, we may all end up at the end of a leash held by intelligent machines one day. And, if they grow bored with us, we might be eliminated. But I don't think so. I have no problem believing in the likelihood of superpowerful computers and robotics bringing profound changes to our world. However, I don't believe it would result in our demise. Radical evolution maybe, but not abrupt extinction. What is going to happen is that we will merge with machines and computers. There is no doubt about this because it's already happening. It will be difficult if not impossible for machines to wage war against us in the future because they will be us and we will be them. There is also the likelihood that some genius somewhere will think to include an off switch when designing a computer capable of conquering the world.

Supervolcanoes The first time I ever heard about supervolcanoes was many years ago during an interview with Apollo Moonwalker John Young. The veteran astronaut was making the point that science isn't only fun and exciting, it also may be the key to saving our species from extinction. Intrigued, I began researching supervolcanoes. To sum up what I learned: they are horrifyingly destructive and one will erupt sooner or later, perhaps destroying civilization. Don't mistake a supervolcano with the run-of-the-mill variety of volcano we are all most familiar with. Supervolcanoes are thousands of times more powerful than those. The problem for modern civilization is that, like nuclear war, supervolcanoes eject tons of smoke, ash, and dust up into the atmosphere, enough to rapidly change the world's climate and cause ma.s.s extinctions. Some scientists think a supervolcano almost killed us off at least once already. Approximately seventy thousand years ago the Toba supervolcano erupted in what is now in the region of Indonesia. It triggered a long, cold, dark winter that may have cut human numbers down to less than a few thousand people. That was a scary brush with extinction. But it makes the point that if our ancestors, with nothing more than stone and wooden tools, could survive a global supervolcano catastrophe, so could we.

Nan.o.bots Eat the World One of the more bizarre possible human extinction events is the one in which we and everything else become food for microscopic robots. Crazy as it sounds, it's possible. Nanotechnology is the science and engineering of incredibly small machines that are scaled down to the atomic level. It's exciting, almost intoxicating, to dream about the possibilities. The applications seem infinite, from stronger, lighter building materials to nan.o.bots that swim around inside of us monitoring our bodies and keeping us healthy to tiny probes that scour the universe and send back information about everything they discover.

Some experts envision miniature machines that are self-sufficient and self-replicating. They would consume available atoms in their environment and reconstruct them to make more nan.o.bots. Such machines could have many practical and positive applications. But there is also a possible downside. Self-replicating nan.o.bots might run amok and become unstoppable eating machines, converting all matter they encounter into more hungry nan.o.bots. Scientists call this the "gray goo" scenario. There was a depiction of something vaguely similar to this near the end of the 2008 remake of the film, The Day the Earth Stood Still. I think we could avoid the gray goo doomsday, however, by programming a kill switch or simply letting loose bigger and badder nan.o.bots that are programed to eat renegade nan.o.bots.

WE'RE ALL NOT GONNA DIE!.

Wow, what a horrifying list. And keep in mind that these are all things that really could happen. None of them are based on supernatural or paranormal claims. Given enough time, some of them are inevitable. Now here's the good news: None of these events, bad as they could be, are likely to bring about our extinction. A 2009 scientific study looked at various disaster scenarios and concluded that no one disaster is likely to wipe us out. "The human race is unlikely to become extinct without a combination of difficult, severe, and catastrophic events," said Tobin Lopes, the study's project leader. "[We] were very surprised about how difficult it was to come up with plausible scenarios in which the entire human race would become extinct."3 We have faced ice ages, supervolcanoes, and deadly epidemics in the past and survived. We can handle a lot, thanks to language, culture, and the creative power of the human brain. Short of being hit with a series of major events in succession-say the impact of an asteroid that is covered with lethal s.p.a.ce viruses and accidently triggers a full-scale nuclear war-we should be able to survive. Groups of people in one or more places would likely find a way to cope. We may suffer and struggle, but the odds are very good that humankind will endure.

GO DEEPER...

Books Adams, John Joseph, ed. Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse (fiction). San Francisco, CA: Night Shade Books, 2008.

Anders, Lou, ed. Future Shocks: What Terror Does Tomorrow Hold? (fiction). New York: New American Library, 2006.

Benton, Michael. When Life Nearly Died: The Greatest Ma.s.s Extinction of All Time. London: Thames and Hudson, 2005.

Brockman, John, ed. What Are You Optimistic About? Today's Leading Thinkers Lighten Up. New York: Harper Perennial, 2007.

Clegg, Brian. Armageddon Science. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2010.

Hanlon, Michael. Eternity: Our Next Billion Years. Hamps.h.i.+re, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.

McCarthy, Cormac. The Road (fiction). New York: Vintage, 2009.

McGuire, Bill. Global Catastrophes: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.

McGuire, Bill. A Guide to the End of the World. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.

McGuire, Bill. Surviving Armageddon: Solutions for a Threatened Planet. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Miller, Walter M., Jr., and Martin H. Greenberg, eds. Beyond Armageddon (fiction). Lincoln, NE: Bison Books, 2006.

Plait, Philip. Death from the Skies! New York: Penguin Books, 2008.

Rees, Martin. Our Final Hour. New York: Basic Books, 2003.

Stevenson, Mark. An Optimist's Tour of the Future. New York: Avery, 2011.

Stewart, George R. Earth Abides (fiction). New York: Del Ray, 2006.

Wilson, Daniel H. Robopocalypse (fiction). New York: Doubleday, 2011.

Other Sources Earth Impacts Effects Program (website that allows visitors to calculate damage from asteroid strikes), http://impact.ese.ic.ac.uk/ImpactEffects/.

The whole of life is but a moment of time. It is our duty, therefore to use it, not to misuse it.

-Plutarch It scares me to imagine how my life might have turned out if I hadn't adopted a skeptical outlook early on. I might have wasted countless hours worrying about psychic readings, horoscopes, and whether or not one or more of a million G.o.ds approved of me. That would have meant less time for reading books, exploring the world, flirting with girls, watching sci-fi movies, and eating chocolate-covered peanuts. A diminished life, for sure. I also could have wasted thousands of dollars and possibly harmed my health with medical quackery. Worse, I might have dedicated my life to spreading and selling dangerous irrational beliefs to others. I feel fortunate and proud that I am willing and able to think about what I think. The habit of thinking before believing has served me well.

No one should think of skepticism and science as too complicated or demanding. You don't have to be a professional scientist to use the principles of science. You don't have to be a card-carrying member of some skeptic society in order to be able to think your way around all the steamy piles of nonsense lying everywhere. It's not difficult to be a skeptic. Just imagine having a skeptical filter or screen wrapped around your brain. Any weird claim that wants to worm its way into your life must first squeeze through that filter. If it can't, then it's not worth your time. The sooner one begins thinking like this, the better. When my children were very young, for example, I explained to them the value of approaching life as amateur scientists. I encouraged them to question everything, consider the source, ask for evidence, look for flaws in a claim, consider alternative explanations, and so on. Today, they routinely impress me with their insightful questions and ability to see through things they see in a TV ad or hear in everyday conversations. I didn't teach them to think like me. I taught them to think for themselves, and their lives will surely be better for it.

The skeptical life is for anyone and everyone. It's not dependent on extensive education or exceptional intelligence. At its core, being a skeptic means nothing more than recognizing and understanding something about the natural processes, frailties, and vulnerabilities of the human brain-and deciding not to surrender to them without a fight. It's about knowing that we all can and will be fooled, over and over, throughout our lives. It's inevitable. No one is immune to the infection of bad ideas and crazy beliefs. I'm the author of three skeptic-themed books and I can still fall victim to junk thinking. A few years ago, for example, I was habitually pouring expensive protein shakes down my gullet after workouts. It seemed like the smart thing to do at the time, but I was a victim of advertising and peer influence. I have since realized that a post-workout protein-rich meal is more sensible and better for me. I also briefly bought into the Mozart-makes-you-smarter craze back in the 1990s. I listened while working, hoping it might help me come up with a way to finally prove the existence of parallel universes or maybe invent a better light bulb. Now I know better, however, and I just listen to Mozart's music because I like it. You live and learn. You fall down and get back up.

This world we have made for ourselves is a maze of madness. Around every corner there is someone waiting to tell you a story about things that never happened or make a promise that will never come true. The best we can do is to fight back against the illusions, delusions, and scams with critical thinking and the scientific method. In my view, skepticism is necessary for everyone everywhere. Who in their right mind doesn't want to avoid being tricked and fooled, wasting time and money? Don't fall for the lie that skepticism equates to cynicism, a negative world view, or requires some great sacrifice. Only those who feel threatened by honest inquiry tend to make such charges. As millions of skeptical and freethinking people prove every day, it is possible to be productive, creative, and content without clinging to irrational beliefs. Besides, once skepticism has done its work of weeding out so much nonsense, there is a lot more time and energy available for family, friends, fun, exercise, self-improvement, and creative pursuits-the very things that can add up to a happy life. There is nothing negative about wanting to live in the real world and deal with life as it really is. Isn't that part of what being an adult is all about? Misery, misfortune, and death are terrible things none of us can avoid. But I contend that tuning out-via fantasy, willful ignorance, or embracing lies-is not the best defense against the hards.h.i.+ps of life. Hope is found in reality as well. Inspiration exists in truth, too. We may be momentary specks of existence in an incomprehensibly vast universe, but the amazing human brain has the potential to find some measure of confidence, comfort, and contentment in reality, if we give it a chance. Between the endless gifts of scientific discovery and the warmth of a few fellow humans, what need do we have for the fool's gold of myth and make-believe? Fiction is wonderful -right up to the point where it is confused for reality-then it becomes a liability and a burden.

We are not necessarily doomed to be forever burdened by irrational belief. Never forget that the brain that so often leads us into traps is the same brain that can free us. We only have to make the necessary effort to be vigilant skeptical thinkers. If we choose to, we can give our lives great meaning and purpose, based on things that are known to be real. n.o.body has to take this route, of course, but do not doubt that you can. There is no need to rely on superst.i.tion for strength or to let fantasy define your existence. If you want to be a nice person, then be nice. If you want to leave your mark on the world, then go do something. If you want to be a slacker, then stop reading this book and go take a nap. You don't need unproven claims of the supernatural and paranormal guiding you and rea.s.suring you every step of the way. You are a human being with an immensely powerful brain. Don't underestimate its ability to separate you from much of the nonsense and danger out there. Your life is yours, live it wisely.

INTRODUCTION.

1. James Randi, "The Amazing Randi Wants You to Think," Caymanian Compa.s.s, June 1, 2000, p. A12.

CHAPTER 1: "I BELIEVE IN THE PARANORMAL.

AND THE SUPERNATURAL."

1. "Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science," Talk of the Nation, NPR, November 10, 2006, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6469070 (accessed December 22, 2010).

2. Andrew A. Skolnick, "Natasha Demkina: The Girl with Normal Eyes," Skeptical Inquirer, May/June 2005, http://www.csicop.org/si/show/natasha_demkina_the_girl_with_normal_eyes/ (accessed March 23, 2011).

3. David W. Moore, "Three in Four Americans Believe in Paranormal," Gallup News Service, June 16, 2005, http://www.gallup.com/poll/16915/three-four-americans-believe-paranormal.aspx (accessed March 11, 2011).

4. Linda Lyons, "Paranormal Beliefs Come (Super) Naturally to Some," Gallup News Service, November 1, 2005, http://www.gallup.com/poll/19558/paranormal-beliefs-come-supernaturally-some.aspx (accessed March 15, 2011).

5. Tauriq Moosa, interview with the author, April 26, 2011.

6. Hank Davis, Caveman Logic: The Persistence of Primitive Thinking in a Modern World (Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2009), pp. 18384.

7. Michael Shermer, The Believing Brain (New York: Times Books, 2011), p. 5.

CHAPTER 2: "I KNOW THERE IS AN AFTERLIFE BECAUSE OF ALL THE NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES."

1. Frank Ward, interview with the author, January 10, 2011.

2. Kevin Nelson, The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain (New York: Dutton, 2010), p. 95.

3. Vilayanur S. Ramachandran and Diane Rogers Ramachandran, "Reflections on the Mind," Scientific American Mind, July/August 2011, pp. 1822.

4. Nelson, Spiritual Doorway, p. 130.

5. Ibid., p. 137.

6. Ibid., pp. 14243.

7. Susan Blackmore, Dying to Live: Near-Death Experiences (Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 1993), p. 263.

8. Sean M. Carroll, "Physics and the Immortality of the Soul," Scientific American, May 23, 2011, http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=physics-and-the-immortality-of-the-201105-23 (accessed June 22, 2011).

9. Kevin Nelson, quoted in Amanda Gefter, "The Light in the Tunnel," New Scientist 208, nos. 279293 (December 2010-January 2011): 81.

CHAPTER 3: "A PSYCHIC READ MY MIND.".

1. Tauriq Moosa, interview with the author, April 26, 2011.

2. James van Praagh, Heaven and Earth: Making the Psychic Connection (New York: Pocket Books, 2006), p. 188.

3. Bootie Cosgrove-Mather, "Poll: Most Believe in Psychic Phenomena," CBS News, February 11, 2009, www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/04/29/opinion/polls/main507515.shtml (accessed July 1, 2011).

4. BBC News, "Britons Report 'Psychic Powers,'" BBC News, May 26, 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5017910.stm (accessed December 11, 2010).